Expansion rail joint



April 23, 1929. v. D. WALKER ET AL 1,719,557

EXPANSION RAIL JOINT Filed J V ii!" a 2 v um INVENTOR KDWa/ifer' and 9 BY //1'!1' v Ila-plan ATToRNE% Patented Apr. 23, 1929. i a

9 UNITED" STATES VICTOR I). WALKER AND PHILIP KAPI'JAN, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA.

. EXPANSION Application meat/ra 14,

This invention relates to rail oints, and is more particularly concerned with a rail joint structure having provision for anchor ng the joint plates to the supporting tie whllepermitting expansion of the rail in the olnt plates. v

As is well known, the length of railway rails tends to increase with heat and to decrease with cold due to the natural expansion and contraction of steel subjected to the two extremes of air temperature. Unless adequate provision is made for expansion, buckling of the rail or of the joint plates, or both, may result.

Since expansion joints are predicated upon slight spacing of the abutting ends of rail sections, it is most desirable that the wheel tread faces of the abutting ends be maintained in the same plane to minimize wear at the joint and on the wheels.

One feature of the invention consists in an improved form of joint or fish plate by means of which the abutting ends of rail sections may be securely held down to their tie or other base against lifting or spreading while permitting relative longitudinal expansion and contraction of the rail ends therein. 7

A further feature of the invention consists in a novel construction of rail, fish plate and interjoining means cooperating to anchor the fish plate topermit longitudinal relative expansion of the oint rail ends relative thereto; and to guide and maintain the abutting joined ends of the rail sections and their wheel tread faces in the same plane.

The structural provisions contributing to secure these features and results, will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed specification which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof and in which: I

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of our expansion railjoint.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the joint and rail taken on the line 2 -2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section through the joint taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective detail of the rail guiding bolt block which interjoins rail and fish plates.

In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the parts are shown in the positions they occupy with the abutting rail ends joined in spaced RAIL JOINT.

1928. Serial no. 277,526.

relation for expansion from a fully contracted condition representing the effect of exposure to an extreme naturally low temperature. The extent of expansion under extreme natural heat is represented by the spacing between the ends of the guiding block bolt and the ends of the elongated rail web recesses.

The abutting ends 1 and 2 of two adjacent sections of rail are, as shown, spaced at 3 for expansion as previously explained. The web portions of these rail ends are provided with elongated slots 4 therein uniformly and determinately spaced from the abutting ends of their rail sections. These ends are embraced between 'complemental fish plates having upstanding web portions 5, each provided with spaced elongated slots 6 therein alining with each other transversely of the rail and alining with the rail web slots 4. The elongated slots 6 are of less length than the rail web slots 4 but of coincident height, the difference in length approximating the maximum extent of expansion of the rail. From the lower ends of their web portions 5, the fish plates are provided with substantially U-shaped bases extending at right angles thereto, and including inwardly extending bottom flanges 7 underlying the bases 8 of the rail ends 1 and 2, as shown in Figure 3. The abutting ends of the rails therefore seat in and are embraced as to their Web portions and bases by the 'complemental fish plates 5. The under sides of the base flanges 7 of the fish plates rest upon the top surface of a tie 9 or other suitable stationary base.

They are interj oined with the rail ends embraced therebetween by means of a pair of what may be termed bolt blocks having flanged heads 10 and elongated shank portions 11 corresponding in cross section to the elongated web slots 6 of the fish plates, and therefore ofl less length thanthe elongated rail web slots 4. From the ends of the shank portion opposite to the flanged head 10 extend apair of spaced threaded studs 12. The width of the elongated shank portion 11 is preferably such as to permit it to extend through alining fish plate slots 6 and rail web slot 4 with the flanged head 10 engaging a fish plate at one side of the rail web and the studs 12 projecting beyond the fish plate at the opposite side thereof. A washer plate 13 provided with spaced openings alining with the studs 12 and of greater length than the slot 6 in thefish plate web portion seats "over the shanks of the studs and overlaps the adjacent outer face of the fish plate. The outer ends of the studs 12 are engaged by clamping nuts 14,1001; washers 15 being preferably interposed. The upper and lower faces of the elongated shank portion 11 engage the upper and lower sides of the rail web slots 4- and serve to guide the rail in its longitudinal movement of expansion and contraction through changes in temperature.

The spaced slots (3 in each of the fish plates are in'longitudinal alinement so that the pairs of bolt blocks connecting the fish plates and rails at opposite sides of the abutting ends of the rails serve to guide and maintain these abutting ends in the same plane at all times.

In order to permit longitudinal expanding and contracting movement of the abutting rail ends, provision is made for anchoring the fish plates to the stationary base provided by the, for example, rail tie 9 to prevent transverse movement or spreading of the fish plates and the embraced rail, the same means being provided to anchor the fish plates, only, against longitudinal movement relative to their base, permitting the abuttmg rail ends to move longitudinally in expansion and contraction while preventing lateral or spreading movement thereof. This anchoring means is provided by notching the base edges of the fish plates at appropriate points beyond the area of the rail base embraced therebetween, these notches 16 being sized to receive the shank 17 of an anchoring spike or similar element, the flanged head 18 of the spike overlying the upper face of the fish platebases at the edges of the notches 16. The base of the rail ends is therefore not engaged directly by the anchoring spikes, anchoring pressure being transmitted directly to the U-shaped base of the fish plates. Relatively slight longitudinal expanding and contracting movement of the rail ends in the fish plates is therefore permitted.

The length of the rail web slots 4 is relatively long as will be evident from the proportionate showing in the drawings, this being an advantage in that the elongated shank ll of the bolt shanks may be of such length as to provide a substantial bearing surface engaging the rail web slots and definitely maintaining the wheel tread faces of the rail ends in the same plane in all positions of longitudinal expansion and contraction of these ends.

The form of the invention disclosed while representing a preferable embodiment of the invention is intended as illustrative rather than restrictive and modification and adaptation of the physical structure of the invention to varying needs is contemplated in consonance with the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat we claim therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an expansion rail joint, a pair of gitudinal and lateral movement, blocks hav- H ing flanged heads engaging said plate Web portions and having elongated shank portions with fiat upper and lower bearing faces substantially co-incident in cross section with the elongated slots of the plate webs and extending through and bearing on the flat bearing faces of said elongated slots and through the alining slots in the rail webs embraced therebetween to guide andmaintain'the rails in the same plane during longitudinal expansion and contraction thereof, said blocks having a pair of longitudinally spaced threaded studs projecting outwardly from their ends with clamping nuts thereon for interlocking said blocks, fish plates and rail webs against lateral separation, the greater length of the rail web slots permitting longitudinal expandingand contracting movement of the rail ends relatively to the fish plates and the bearing shanks of said blocks.

2. In an expansion rail joint abutting rail ends having elongated web slots therein determinately spaced from their ends and of substantially greater length than width, complemental fish plates seating and embracing V the webs and bases of said rail ends therebetween and having similar elongated slots in their web portions alining with each other and with said rail web slots but of slightly less length than the latter, means for anchoring said plates to a base against lateral and longitudinal movement, fastening elements extending through said alined plate and rail web slots to clamp the fish plates and rails together against transverse separation, said fastening elements having elongated fiat faced shank portions snugly fitting the plate slots and of less length than engaging the upper and lower sides of said'rail web slots to maintain the rail ends'in the sam plane. j

3. In an expansion rail joint abutting rail en'ds having elongated web slots therein determinately spaced from their ends and of substantially greater length than Width, complemental fish plates having webportions and inwardly extending base fiangesseating and embracing the webs and bases of sai'd rail endstherebetween and having spaced ei'ongated fastener receiving slots of less length in their web portions aliningwith each other and with said rail web slots, means for anchoring said plates to a base again-st lateral and longitudinal movement, fastening elements extending through said plate apertures and rail web slots to clamp the fish plates and rails together against transverse separation, said fastening elements having elongated flat faced shank portions having a. cross section corresponding to the elongated slots in the plate web portions and bearing on and engaging the upper and lower sides of said rall web slots to guide and maintain the rail ends in said fish plates for longitudinal expanding and contracting movement toward and from each other in the same plane as permitted by the space between the ends of said shank portions and the ends of the rail tion with the greater length of the rail Web slots permitting longitudinal expansion and contraction of the rails in the plane maintained by said block shanks.

Signed at Kokomo, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana, this 11th day of May, A. D. nineteen hundred twentyeight (1928).

VICTOR D. WALKER. PHILIP KAPLAN. 

